SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY

NOTICE TO THE BAR

Re: Superseding Order Designating Alleged Ciba Geigy Environmental Contamination in Ocean County as a Mass Tort

Accompanying the publication of this Notice to the Bar is a copy of a Order dated February 6, 2001
signed by Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz. The Order supersedes an Order dated January 12, 2001
and clarifies that only the pending and future litigation statewide against Ciba Geigy alleging
environmental contamination in Ocean County is designated as a mass tort. It also transfers the
pretrial management of all such cases to Middlesex County to be handled on a coordinated basis
by the Honorable Marina Corodemus with the assistance of a special master previously appointed
by the Chief Justice.

SUPREME COURT OF NEW JERSEY

ORDER

It is hereby ORDERED that, in the matter of all pending and future litigation seeking damages or other relief arising out of alleged environmental contamination in Ocean County by Ciba-Geigy, all complaints that have been filed in the various counties and that are under case management or in discovery or awaiting case management and discovery are transferred from the county of venue to Superior Court, Law Division, Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8), and assigned for management to the Honorable Marina Corodemus;

It is FURTHER ORDERED that venue in all existing such Ciba-Geigy litigation as specified above is transferred to Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8); and

It is FURTHER ORDERED that, pursuant to N.J. Const. (1947), Art.VI, sec.2, par.3, Rule 4:3-2 governing venue in the Superior Court is supplemented and relaxed so that all future complaints seeking damages or other relief arising out of alleged environmental contamination in Ocean County by Ciba-Geigy, no matter where they might be venued, shall be filed in Middlesex County (Vicinage No. 8) and assigned for management to Judge Corodemus; and

It is FURTHER ORDERED that Judge Corodemus, with the assistance of a Special Master previously appointed with approval of the Chief Justice, shall oversee all pretrial case management and discovery for such cases as are covered by this Order and shall decide when such cases are ready for trial in a venue to be determined; and

It is FURTHER ORDERED that no such Ciba-Geigy cases as specified above shall be tried except on application to Judge Corodemus for good cause shown;

The provisions of this Order supersede the Courtís Order of January 12, 2001 and are effective immediately and until further Order of the Court.